Paint striper

ABSTRACT

A paint striper is provided with an adjustable cable guide means which constrains movement of the striper along one or more cables laid adjacent to a predetermined path on a surface. The striper moving on the cables then applies a continuous straight stripe on the surface along the predetermined path.

United States Patent 1 1 3,695,222

Arrant Oct. 3, 1972 [54] PAINT STRIPER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS[721 lnvemofi Kearney Ami", St Louis, M9 386,098 1/l933 Great Britain..1 18/207 63933 W 568,279 6/1958 Belgium ..118/207 [73] Assignee:Monsanto Company, St. Louis. Mo. 22 m Oct. 30 970 Primary Examiner-JohnP. McIntosh Attorney-Vance A. Smith, Russell E. Weinkauf, John l 85,636D. Upham and Neal E. Willis [52] US. Cl. ..ll8/207, 15/1035 [57]ABSTRACT [51] Int. CL. ..B05c 1/00 58 Field 61 Search ..1 18/207, 305;401/48, 218, A Pamt smpe' Pmvded adlustable cab'e 40 2 9 93; 15/49 C, 50C7 3 5 guide means which constrains movement of the striper along one ormore cables laid adjacent to a predeter- [56] References Cited minedpath on a surface. The striper moving on the cables then applies acontinuous straight stripe on the UNITED STATES PATENTS surface alongthe predetermined path. 2,476,926 7/1949 Stocks 18/207 2,555,693 6/1951Heltzel ..1 18/305 4 Chums 4 Drawmg Flgures 2,706,302 4/1955 Kratz..l5/l03.5

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INVENTOR. KEARNEY D. ARRANT ATTORNE-Y' PATENTEDnm m2 3.695.222

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INVENTOR.

KEARNEY D. ARRANT BY: MQQM ATTORNEY .PAINT STRIPER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The present invention relates to animproved striper used to mark stripes on athletic fields and othersimilar surfaces.

2. Background of the Invention There are a number of stripers in theprior art used to stripe boundaries and playing areas on athletic fieldsand surfaces. One example of a striper is found in US. Pat. No.2,706,302 to A.B. Kratz filed Aug. 4, 1950 and issued Apr. 19, 1955. Thestriper of Kratz employs a series of contacting rollers which transferpaint from a receptacle to a surface when the striper is moved over thesurface. It is difficult, however, for the operator to move a prior artstriper such as the Kratz striper in a straight line since the onlyconstraint on the striper is the operator. Slight movements to the leftor right of 'the predetermined direction of movement results in wavylines or stripes which are readily apparent to spectators. Artificialturf which has received increasing acceptance is particularly difficultto stripe because of the high denier of the material.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide for animproved paint striper which is easily constrainedto move in apredetermined straight line while applying stripes to a surface.

SUMMARY Briefly, the present invention is an improvement in a paintstriper. The improvement includes a guiding means mounted on the striperfor removably engaging a cable orcabl es laid adjacent and essentiallyparallel to a predetermined path or line on a surface. The guiding meansconstrains the striper to move along the path while the paint rollersapply a stripe to the surface.

The features of the present invention are pointed out with particularityinthe appended claims. The invention itself together with furtherobjects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference tothe detailed description taken in connection with the followingdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section of an improved striper in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1 taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic representations of the wheels and rollersshown in FIG -l in striping application and non-application positions.

A pair of rear wheels and 11 are mounted on axles l2 and 13 mountedbeneath a pair of vertical supporting plates 14 and 15 which comprisethe supporting frame for the striping apparatus. A roller 16 is mountedon shaft 17 which extends through plates 14 and 15. Roller 18 intouching contact with roller 16 is similarly mounted between supportingplates 14 and 15 on a shaft 19 extending therethrough. Rocking plates 20and 21 are pivotally mounted on the portions of shaft 19 extendingthrough supporting plates 14 and 15. A roller 22 rotatably contactingroller 18 is mounted upon shaft 23 which extends through rocking plates20 and 21.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the striper also includes a pivoting assemblycomprising a pivot handle 23 and a lock handle 24. Pivot handle 23 ispivotally secured'to plate 14 by shaft 25. Handle 23 is connected tolever member 26 by pin 27. A rocking arm 29 is connected to lever member26 by pin 30 and is pivotally mounted on shaft 23. The forward end ofrocking arm 29 supports a front guide wheel 31 attached to the arm by ashaft 32 passing between plate 33 integral with the arm 29. Front guidewheel is shown in phantom outline in FIG. 1.

Lock handle 24 has an elongated member 35 which slides in shaft 36 ofpivot handle 23. The lower end of elongated member 35 contains anoutwardly extending pin 37 which is biased downward by connecting spring38 fixed to the pivot handle 23. A lock plate 39 secured to supportingplate 14 is provided with a pair of notches 40 and 41 for pin 37.Notches 40 and 41 may both be seen in FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, front wheels 42 and 43 are rotatably securedby shafts 44 and 45 to front arms 46 and 47, respectively. Front arms 46and 47 arefixedly secured to shaft 48 which rotates in shaft housing 49attached to the underside of plates 14 and 15. Rear arm 49 is alsofixedly secured to shaft 48.

A pair of vertical standards or shafts 51 are secured to a horizontalportion 52 of plates 14 and 15 forward of axles 12 and 13. Standards 51support a sleeve 53 which is adapted to hold receptacle 54. Receptacle54 has a removable top 55 for receiving striping paint.

As best seen in FIG. 2, wheels 10 and 11 and 42 and 43 have grooves inthe periphery region thereof which are adapted to engage and ride upon apair of cables 56. Generally speaking, the cables 56 are laid adjacentto a predetermined path over which it is desired to move the apparatus.The cables constrain the apparatus to move along the predetermined paththereby providing a straight stripe.

In a first mode of operation, that is, when all four wheels are incontact with guiding cables 56, roller 22 is in contact with thesurface. This may best be seen in the schematic of FIG. 3. As roller 22rotates along the surface it in turn rotates contacting roller 18 whichin turn rotates roller 16. Although it is not shown for the sake ofclarity, roller 16 is in contact with paint contained in a trowel therebelow, the trowel receiving its paint from receptacle 54. Roller 16 thenacts as a pickup roller and transposes the paint thereon to roller 22via transport roller 18. All rollers are covered with a yieldable coverwhich may be wool, felt, or the like. The constraining guidance of thecables provides a smooth relatively straight stripe along thepredetermined path on the surface over which the apparatus is moving.However, if it is desired not to stripe a particular surface, forexample, when moving from stripe to stripe, the positions of the wheelsand rollers are easily changed. To remove the roller 22 from thesurface, lock handle 24 is moved upward in the direction of the arrow asseen in FIG. 1 thereby removing pin 27 from one of the notches in lockplate 39. This allows pivot handle 23 to be moved in the directionshown, thereby pushing lever member 26 forward causing rocking arm 29 tomove front guide wheel 31 downward against the surface. Simultaneously,rocking plate 20 is caused to rock upward, taking roller 22 out ofcontact with the surface.

It is generally desirable when moving from stripe to stripe to disengagewheels 42 and 43 from the guiding cables. The schematic of FIG. 4illustrates this arrangement. Arms 46 and 47 are biased downward bysprings 57 when wheels 42 and 43 are engaging the cable. When, however,foot pedal 58 of rear arm 50 is depressed, shaft 48 is rotated such thatfront arms 46 and 47 move upward thereby disengaging wheels 42 and 43from the guiding cables. The torque then exerted by springs 57 on arm 46is in the opposite direction thereby biasing the front arms in an upwarddirection keeping wheels 42 and 43 off the surface. The apparatus isthen easily moved to a different location as desired.

Having described an improved paint striper with guiding means capable ofconstraining the striper to move in a predetermined path, it is believedthat those skilled in the art may derive variations and changes in theimproved striper that fall within the scope of the present invention asdefined by the following claims:

What I claim is:

1. A paint striper including:

a. a receptacle for receiving paint;

b. a support means for supporting said receptacle;

0. a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on the rear of said support means,said rear wheels having grooves in the perimeter thereof for engagingcables laid adjacent to a predetermined striping path; applicating meansincluding applicator roller for receiving paint from said receptacle andapplying the paint as a stripe along the predetermined path, saidapplicating means being pivotally mounted on said support means;

e. first lever means pivotally supported by said supporting means, aguide wheel rotatably supported by the forward end of said first levermeans, said first lever means connected to said applicating means forpivoting said applicating means in a substantially upward direction awayfrom the surface when said guide wheel contacts the surface.

2. The striper of claim 1 including second lever means pivotally mountedon said support means and a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on saidsecond lever means forward of said rear wheels, said forward wheelshaving grooves in the perimeter thereof for engaging the cables, saidsecond lever means for moving said forward wheels in and out ofengagement with the cables.

3. The stnper of claim 2 wherein said applicating means includes a pairof rocking plates pivotally connected to said supporting means, saidapplicator roll mounted between said rocking plates, said first levermeans connected to one of said rocking plates and causing said plates topivotwhen said lever means is moved.

4. The striper of claim 3 wherein said second lever means comprises anarm extending rearwardly of said rear wheels and adapted to be elevatedand depressed, a pair of forwardly extending members each rotatablysupporting one of said front wheels, and a shaft rotatably supported bysaid supporting means, said arm and members being fixedly connected tosaid shaft and adapted to be pivoted about said shaft, said forwardlyextending members being biased downward when said front wheels engagethe cables and biased upward when said arm is depressed.

1. A paint striper including: a. a receptacle for receiving paint; b. asupport means for supporting said receptacle; c. a pair of wheelsrotatably mounted on the rear of said support means, said rear wheelshaving grooves in the perimeter thereof for engaging cables laidadjacent to a predetermined striping path; d. applicating meansincluding applicator roller for receiving paint from said receptacle andapplying the paint as a stripe along the predetermined path, saidapplicating means being pivotally mounted on said support means; e.first lever means pivotally supported by said supporting means, a guidewheel rotatably supported by the forward end of said first lever means,said first lever means connected to said applicating means for pivotingsaid applicating means in a substantially upward direction away from thesurface when said guide wheel contacts the surface.
 2. The striper ofclaim 1 including second lever means pivotally mounted on said supportmeans and a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said second lever meansforward of said rear wheels, said forward wheels having grooves in theperimeter thereof for engaging the cables, said second lever means formoving said forward wheels in and out of engagement with the cables. 3.The striper of claim 2 wherein said applicating means includes a pair ofrocking plates pivotally connected to said supporting means, saidapplicator roll mounted between said rocking plates, said first levermeans connected to one of said rocking plates and causing said plates topivot when said lever means is moved.
 4. The striper of claim 3 whereinsaid second lever means comprises an arm extending rearwardly of saidrear wheels and adapted to be elevated and depressed, a pair offorwardly extending members each rotatably supporting one of said frontwheels, and a shaft rotatably supported by said supporting means, saidarm and members being fixedly connected to said shaft and adapted to bepivoted about said shaft, said forwardly extending members being biaseddownward when said front wheels engage the cables and biased upward whensaid arm is depressed.